Deep Sea

Vital Ecosystem

The European Union has one of the largest deep-sea fishing fleets in the world and some of the most impacted deep-sea stocks.

Bottom trawlers drag huge, weighted nets along the deep seafloor, wiping out all in their path, including corals and sponges that have flourished for thousands of years.

To help ensure protection for deep-sea ecosystems, on 30 June 2016 the European Parliament, Council of Ministers and European Commission agreed a new EU deep-sea fishing regulation that includes a ban on bottom trawling below 800 metres and would close areas where vulnerable marine ecosystems are known to – or are likely to – occur.